Gauge fields emerging from time-reversal symmetry breaking for spin-5/2 fermions in a honeycomb lattice

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.84.011611· OSTI ID:22038576

Szirmai, G; Szirmai, E ^[1]; Zamora, A ^[1]; Lewenstein, M ^[1]

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1. ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, Mediterranean Technology Park, E-08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona) (Spain)

We propose an experimentally feasible setup with ultracold alkaline-earth-metal atoms to simulate the dynamics of U(1) lattice gauge theories in 2 + 1 dimensions with a Chern-Simons term. To this end we consider the ground-state properties of spin-5/2 alkaline-earth-metal fermions in a honeycomb lattice. We use the Gutzwiller projected variational approach in the strongly repulsive regime in the case of filling 1/6. The ground state of the system is a chiral spin-liquid state with 2{pi}/3 flux per plaquette, which violates time-reversal invariance. We demonstrate that due to the breaking of time-reversal symmetry the system exhibits quantum Hall effect and chiral edge states. We relate the experimentally accessible spin fluctuations to the emerging gauge-field dynamics. We discuss also properties of the lowest energy competing orders.

• OSTI ID: 22038576
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 84, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHIRALITY
FERMIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
GROUND STATES
HALL EFFECT
SPIN
SYMMETRY BREAKING
T INVARIANCE
VARIATIONAL METHODS